Cost-Effectiveness of Molecular Method Diagnostic for Rapid Detection of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

This study aimed to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of the molecular diagnostic method (MM) associated with conventional diagnostic method (CM) compared with the CM alone, for the detection of resistant profile in bacteremia, from the perspective of the Brazilian Public Health System, in intensive care units setting. The clinical parameters regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE) infections were collected from searches on PubMed, Scopus, and SciELO, using specific keywords. Data on direct medical costs to treat these infections were collected according to Brazilian Public Health System perspective from Brazilian databases, in tables of 2018 to 2019. CEA was performed after building a dynamic model, which was calibrated and validated according to international recommendations. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of the MM + CM compared with the CM was calculated using the outcomes “avoided death” and “avoided resistant infections.” One-way sensitivity analyses were performed. This CEA demonstrated that the MM + CM was dominant in all scenarios. Estimates showed that for MRSA, CRGNB, and VRE infections, every avoided death would lead to savings of Brazilian real (R$) 4.9 million ($937 301), R$2.2 million ($419 899), and R$1.3 million ($248 919), respectively. The same infections assessed by avoided resistant infections savings were projected to be R$24 964 ($4686), R$40 260 ($7558), and R$23 867 ($4480). MM leads to cost reduction and increased benefits, optimizing the use of financial resources on the health system in the intensive care unit setting, in bacteremia caused by MRSA, CRGNB, and VRE. •Molecular diagnostic techniques promote fast antibacterial drug resistance profile identification, enabling therapeutic adequacy in a short time, but at a higher cost.•The association of molecular method with the conventional method led to cost reduction and increased benefits, optimizing the use of financial resources on the health system in the intensive care units setting, in bacteremia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp.•This cost-effectiveness analysis may help to better understand the interactions related to infections by resistant bacteria and to support the decisions of the institutions involved in health system m